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Small Things

I really
like this well known quote attributed to Kurt Vonnegut. As I looked at various
sites, it said it wasn’t written by him. Oh well. Whoever wrote it, I do find it
thought-provoking and true. Often we wait for the big events to happen and
ignore all the small moments making up our daily lives.

We tend to
get complacent and stop seeing as we get older, losing that childlike sense of
wonder. I find that a bit sad. We need to realize that the small stuff is big.

Since I have been pursuing my photography
passion more seriously, I really notice my "small things" that much more.

Here are
some photos of my “small things” from yesterday on my trip into Ottawa to get
the car serviced. I like to leave the car at the mechanic’s and walk along, taking
photos of anything I find interesting. I love the rose bushes beside the car
dealer and always take lots of photos with the bees buzzing on them. The
weather was perfect yesterday, not too hot, not too cold but just right.

I went to
visit a special pond surrounded by apartment buildings. Last fall I was lucky
enough to find two herons there and got some wonderful photos of them. There were
no herons this time, but the ducks and seagulls were all there in full force
and were quite happy when I gave them bits of the suet cake I bought. The
woodpeckers won’t be getting any. Sorry guys!

I met this
woman, Fern and her little dog, Diego, and had a nice long chat with her. She
showed me this unusual crooked tree growing all contorted along the ground. Of
course I had to take a photo of it.

Then I went
for a shwarma at the nearby shopping mall and looked out the window of the
restaurant to see this cute House Sparrow dancing about in the lilac tree. He
was such fun, I couldn’t resist taking lots of photos of him.

It was a
magical day that could have been fairly mundane taking the car for routine servicing.
Instead, I tried to make it into an adventure, enjoying the small things along
the way. Thanks for joining me on my “Small Things” journey.

What wonderful photography, Cat. You are so right about the practice of photography sharpening our sense of the small, everyday things all around us. Since I don't have the skills for wildlife photography - kudos to you! Alana ramblinwitham.blogspot.com

Very true. And photography tends to make us stop and notice all the little things around us that we otherwise miss. I remember when I did Fat Mum Slim's Photo-A-Day challenges. They used to be so much fun to do. And they made me look at things around me... everyday things... in new ways! Stuff at my home, plants in my building, the sun... everything really!

Yes, small things are certainly or can be big as you so well demonstrate not only with your words and poem, but also the beautiful photos to match! Thanks for sharing Cathy...and ahem, I am still awaiting your beautiful book so I and others can delight in the small things that are big to me and us! ;) <3

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I love being creative and expressing myself through writing, art, music or drama.

Writing is my ultimate passion and escape from the mundane daily life of housework and other repetitive duties that can sap the life out of me.

I am an introvert so email and chat are the perfect medium for me. I don't like the phone and avoid it when I can.

I live in a small farming village outside Canada's capitol of Ottawa with my husband and two young adult sons.

I belong to a women's choir where I sing Alto 2 and play flute. I also enjoy scrapbooking and preserving our memories instead of letting the photos sit on the computer where no one sees them. I am trying to combine my two talents of cake decorating and photo book making to help people celebrate their events. My biz website is www.catgrahamcreates.com

I adore cats and have a well photographed mischievous orange Tabby named Kobie and a sweet calico named Daisy. I'd love to have more. We also have red Siberian husky and a Malamute. I must admit that I am a crazy cat lady and prefer cats but dogs are great, too. I even have a Facebook account for our zany Malamute, Loup.

I enjoy Facebook and the Internet far too much. Gotta get that writing done!